


Darling only you can ease my mind

by isa_belle



Series: Taz Balance [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angus is sad, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Taako helps his magic boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23984998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isa_belle/pseuds/isa_belle
Summary: He shot up in bed, fists clenched tight around sheets, eyes stinging, little cheeks already damp with tears, nightmares still swirling before his eyes, stuck. Images of things he’d very much rather forget. Friends being slaughtered, worlds ending, boy detectives getting left behind.or Angus McDonald has a bad dream.
Relationships: Angus McDonald & Taako, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Series: Taz Balance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068122
Comments: 24
Kudos: 166





	Darling only you can ease my mind

**Author's Note:**

> this is basically just me trying to overcome my major writer’s block and cope with the quarantine blues. 
> 
> title from Ease My Mind by Ben Platt
> 
> “ Darling, only you can ease my mind  
> Help me leave these lonely thoughts behind  
> When they pull me under, and I can feel my sanity start to unwind  
> Darling, only you can ease my mind”

Angus McDonald wakes up to a hazy light streaking in through a window that is not his own. He blinks awake, eyes cracking open to let the brightness in bit by bit until his eyes adjust and the room is comfortably blurry. As he does, his brain slowly checks back in, details forming his surroundings. His cheek is pressed against someone’s chest, all squished and warm. He’s curled up in sheets and blankets, there’s an arm around his waist. He leans into the touch, the fog in his brain receding as the familiar smell offabric and coffee fills his nose and  _oh._ That’s when it all clicks back into place. 

Last night. Angus feels his stomach sink in shame.

* * *

He had woken with a start and a soft gasp. He shot up in bed, fists clenched tight around sheets, eyes stinging, little cheeks already damp with tears, nightmares still swirling before his eyes, stuck. Images of things he’d very much rather forget. Friends being slaughtered, worlds ending, boy detectives getting left behind. Angus wiped his tears with the backs of his shaking hands, sniffling in a way that felt far to young for his taste (he is almost eleven, after all, and eleven-year-olds don’t cry about nightmares, eleven-year-olds are brave). He swallowed as his heart rate began to slow, muscles still tensed, eyes still swelling. He laid back down for a moment, trying to anchor himself, willing himself to fall back into the peaceful dark of sleep. But he was scared. It was stupid but he was. As soon as he shut his eyes the nightmares were back. He didn’t want to get left behind again, even if he knew that it wasn’t real. And anyways, he wasn’t tired anymore, quite the opposite, in fact. He’d felt as if someone sent spikes of lightning straight through his blood, frying his nerves and burning his brain. He snatched his glasses up, popped them on, and headed for the kitchen. 

Water helps people sleep, right? He was sure he must’ve read that somewhere. 

He padded is way into the kitchen, the bottoms of his pajamas dragging against the floor. The room was lit only by the faint light of the moon, and it was still and quiet with the silence that came with the sleepiest part of the night. But there was enough light to make out his surroundings well enough, brightness hitting the counter and the floor. He walked over to the cabinet, sucking in a breath. He wasn’t conscious of it but tears still streaked down his cheeks like sad little raindrops, and he was shaking like the very earth beneath his feet was unstable. Maybe if he had been conscious of it he wouldn’t have reached for the glass. But he wasn’t, so he did. 

The tremors in his hands made it difficult to grip anything, and the glass was no exception. Angus became aware of this very quickly. As soon as the glass was off the counter and in his hand, it wasn’t anymore, it was falling gracelessly towards the dimly lit floor beneath him. 

In the moment he felt that time slowed, though that may have been a bit dramatic (what can he say, he supposes the seven birds have more effect on him than he lets on.) Then the moment was done and the glass hit the floor with an almost deafening crash in the dead silence of night, and shattered. Angus was on his knees before he even registered it, sweeping up shards of glass with his shaky little hands, tears coming so fast they dripped off his chin and the tip of his nose, putting little smudges on his round glasses. He heard a door creak open and panic seized him. He began more frantically collecting the pieces, stabbing one into his palm. He winced. 

“Woah, Ango.” He heard Taako speak, his voice gruff with sleep. He stifled a yawn. “Whatcha doin’ up, pumpkin?” 

Angus didn’t look up, didn’t want to meet Taako’s eyes, didn’t want to be seen like this. So he remained hunched over, pulling the glass into a little pile, purposefully ignoring the blood seeping from his open palm. Taako had other ideas, though. He waited a moment and when Angus said nothing he stepped forward and knelt in front of the boy, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You okay kiddo?”

When Angus didn’t look up that time Taako lifted his chin with a soft hand. As soon as he saw his face, Taako’s eyes widened in alarm. Angus began to cry harder. 

“I’m sorry sir,” he started, and kicked himself.  _ I shouldn’t be crying, I’m almost eleven-years-old, I’m not a baby anymore.  _ The frustration only made more sobs spill from his lips as he attempted to explain himself. “I came to get water but I dropped the glass and it broke and I tried to clean it up but you woke up.” His words were jumbled, quick and cut up by hiccups and sobs. 

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s no big deal, Angus” Taako’s voice was painfully gentle, like he was speaking to a scared puppy. Angus’ stomach sank to his toes with shame. He reached out a hesitant hand, scooped up Angus’. “Your hands are all cut up bud. C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Taako tugged Angus to his feet like he weighed nothing, walked him to the bathroom and sat him down. He grumbled something like ‘fuckin tall people’ under his breath and he stretched to reach the first aid supplies off the top shelf. Then he got to work on Angus’ hands, wiping them down while Angus sniffled and tried to pull himself together. 

“Wanna talk about it?” Taako’s tone was casual but the look in his eyes was anything but. His ears twitched. Angus shifted and grimaced as Taako fixed up his cut. 

“I-“ Angus considered it for a moment. He wanted to say no, or he  _should have_ wanted to say no, anyway. But something about the look in Taako’s eyes, halfway between earnest and completely out of his depth, made him want to speak. He didn’t understand why. (That seems to be be the case when it comes to Taako, though, he’s a mystery. And Angus McDonald loves mysteries.)

“I had a nightmare.” He swallowed and Taako hummed. 

“Those are pretty popular in this biz.”

Angus just nodded. Taako paused, glanced up at him for just a second then returned his gaze to his hands 

“What was it?”

Angus took a deep breath, hesitating only a second, “the end of the world all over again. But over and over again.” His voice came out hoarse and raspy. Taako smoothed a fantasy bandaid over his palm and his attention snapped to Angus. “You died. And then we all died. And then you left me behind.” 

Angus looked to the ground, unable to maintain eye contact. The last was particularly difficult for reasons Angus was not willing to admit or consider. He got choked as the words came. He didn’t think it was noticeable, the way his voice caught, but Taako noticed, he was always smarter than he let on. 

“Left behind?”

Angus nodded again. He pulled his hand back into his lap, turning it over absentmindedly. 

Taako sighed. “Well, I hate to break it to you kid. But I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”

Taako placed his hands on Angus’ shoulders, and Angus finally met his eyes, tears threatening to spill again. 

“You somehow managed to wiggle your way into Ol’ Taako’s life and for some reason, you managed to stick around! Now, that’s a pretty unique position to be in. I am the savior of the universe and shit. Count yourself lucky, Ango.”

Angus felt the ghost of a smile on his lips at the words, watery and weak but still very much present. And Taako smiled back. He sounded sincere too, in his own insincere Taako kind of way. The tears pricking the corners of his eyes fell onto his cheeks, and Angus threw himself forward, landing in Taako’s arms, squeezing tight and burying his face into the soft fabric of his sweater. Taako let out a quiet laugh and reciprocated the embrace. 

“And good luck buddy,” he muttered, “but you’re  never getting rid of me.”

_I wouldn’t dream of it_ , Angus thought, but he kept the thought to himself. Left it to be considered later, at a time where his brain was less slow and his eyes were less wet. He felt himself sink into a sort of grogginess as the exhaustion he felt settled back in very quickly. He didn’t protest as Taako lifted him up, face still pressed against his shoulder. Angus dozed a bit as he was carried down the hallway, shaking his head to stay awake while his eyelids drooped and the thoughts in his brain turned to fuzz. 

Taako pushed the door to his room open with his foot, then walked a few more steps and laid Angus down gently in his bed next to a sleeping Kravitz. Taako pushed his hair back and tugged off his glasses, folding them and placing them lightly on the table besides the bed. Then he slid under the covers next to Angus, pulling the blanket over the two of them. 

Kravitz was roused by the shifting weight and slight noise, and he stirred, bleary eyed and confused. He looked at Angus then at Taako, a puzzled look on his face. 

“What?” He murmured, voice gravelly and slurred. Taako shook his head. “I’ll tell ya tomorrow, Krav. Get some sleep.”

Kravitz seemed to like that idea, shutting his eyes with a contented “mkay.”

Taako leaned over a pressed a gentle kiss to Kravitz’s cheek, then he pressed one to Angus’ forehead. Angus found himself half consciously snuggling closer to Taako, who opened his arms for the boy. “Goodnight pumpkin,” Taako mumbled. But Angus was too far lost the haze of sleep to manage a response.

* * *

Angus is pulled from his reverie by movement beside him. Taako is awake now, squinting his eyes at the sudden light and yawning big. Angus feels the thoughts of last night fall to the back of his mind. Taako’s eyes land on him, then on Kravitz who’s still dozing. 

“Morning bubula.” He says, blinking slowly, “want pancakes?”

Angus feels a light in his chest, warm and bright and familiar. It fills him with a feeling he can’t quite name, but it’s a good one. He smiles, a big toothy grin. 

“Yes sir.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! if you liked it, leave a comment bc I crave constant validation :)  
> also comment if you've got a prompt suggestion bc my brain is literally empty  
> Byeee


End file.
